The Untold Secret
by spunkygal
Summary: Hermione is off to school but her mom has a big secret. Her mom won't tell her anything, but she knows that it'll bring her and someone very close to her even closer. Feelings for each other are revealed and many secrets are told.
1. Default Chapter

Hermione yawned, sitting up in her bed. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple of times making her vision clear. "Crookshanks! Crookshanks! Come here! We've got to get ready for school!" The ginger cat came trotting up to Hermione's side. He plopped down on the bed and curled up, falling asleep with a gentle purr that sounded like a soft snore. Hermione patted her beloved cat and got up gently, trying not to wake him.

Hermione sighed. She began packing, still groggy. She put her clothing in first, school things second, then closed her trunk. Then she got Crookshanks's cage, a cardboard box with little holes in it that read on the side, "Cat Carry-All."

"Sorry sweetie, but you've got to come with me!" She frowned at the tired cat and then waved the cardboard box with little holes in it. Crookshanks got up, licked his paws, stretched his hind legs and trotted gracefully into the pet wagon. He didn't like it, but he was used to it by now. After all, he _had_ been coming with Hermione to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry every year since her third year.

"Good boy!" Hermione said with a smile.

She pulled on jeans, a t-shirt, and then tugged her red and gold jumper over her head. Itwas embroidered with Gryffindor's crest but she wasn't worried about anyone being suspicious of the sign, because no Muggle would know what it meant, except of course her mother and sister.

She bumped her heavy trunk down the stairs, dragging her trunk behind her in her left hand, carrying Crookshanks in her right. When she got to the middle of the staircase Crookshanks began to meow agitatedly. He disliked with a passion the up-and-down action walking down the stairs produced.

"Mum, we've got to go!"

"Okay honey, hold on a second!" Hermione's mother rushed into the front hall. She was out of breath, pale, and looked very tired. Hermione walked out of the door and stepped onto the front porch, her mother following her closely with her jacket draped across her arm.

Hermione opened the back left door and threw her trunk in. She then gently placed Crookshanks on the left seat. "You be a good boy!" she cooed at Crookshanks, who meowed agitatedly.

She closed the door and went to the passenger's seat, her mum putting her arms through the arm holes in the jacket and getting into the driver's seat, again out of breath, rummaging through her purse for the keys.

"Ah-ha! I found them!" her mum yelled. Hermione tucked some of her wild hair behind her right ear. She didn't like loud noises, and didn't like her mom yelling. Her mother apologized faintly at the sight of Hermione's flinch. Hermione sank low in her seat.

The newly-painted Muggle car growled as Mrs. Granger turned the key in the ignition. It failed. She turned it again. The engine was smoother, like the sound of a gentle rain Hermione thought. The car went into reverse and was on the street in seconds. Her mom turned left, right, left again, and then left once more until they were at the train station.

The car came to a gentle stop, perfectly aligned within the yellow-lined parking space of the station car park. _The apple never falls far from the tree,_ Hermione thought. She smiled weakly, knowing that was a comment someone like Ron would have made.

"Have a great time at school! Make sure to write to me and I'll write back to you! We'll talk about the Christmas holiday soon. I'm not sure if I want you staying there all year...." Mrs. Granger said as Hermione got out of the front seat.

Hermione went over to the rear right door and pulled out her trunk.

With a loud 'OOMPHFF!' it hit the pavement. Hermione reached in and grabbed Crookshanks' carrier out of the neighbouring seat. She gently pulled the cage out of the rear seat when she heard a sniffle. She looked more closely... her mum was crying. She had never done this before when seeing Hermione off to school.

"What's wrong Mum?" Hermione asked sympathetically, closing the door and peering into the front window.

"Oh, nothing! Just make sure to write to me while you're on the train. And don't use Pig! Ask Harry if you can use his owl, because Pigwidgeon might get lost!" Mrs. Granger replied, a weak smile playing across her lips.

"Okay!" She smiled, still very unsure if everything was all right, and kissed her mum on the cheek through the window. "Are you sure you're okay? Mum, I know you're not!" Hermione raised her eyebrows with a disapproving look on her face.

"I'm fine! I promise! Now, you've got to get to the train. I'd come with you, but I have work to do at the office. Busy schedule, very busy! We're all booked up this week!" Mrs. Granger smiled weakly and looked into Hermione's eyes. Seeing disbelief in her daughter's eyes, Mrs. Granger said, "I'm fine, really! Don't worry about it--You've got to go honey!" She smiled and gently placed her hand on top of Hermione's, tears welling in her eyes.

"Alright Mum! Bye! I'll make sure to write to you soon--on the train! Bye!" She reached in the window and hugged her mother. "Bye!" She smiled weakly and waved goodbye, picking up her luggage and heading toward King's Cross. She waved once again to her mother who was turning out of the parking space. Her mother saw her and waved back. Hermione headed towards Platform 9 ¾, wishing she could be with her mother. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong, and Hermione had to figure out what it was. For some reason she thought, no, she _knew_ that it would change her life forever.


	2. Passing through the Barrier

"Ron! Harry! I missed you guys so much!" Hermione yelled across the train station toward Platform 9 ¾. She tried her best to run over to them, but her luggage was weighing her down. Instead, Ron and Harry ran over to her and took her luggage for her. "Thanks!" she smiled brightly at both of them. They were both amazingly tall. Ron had been all the previous year, but Harry had grown a lot over the summer! Hermione was amazed.

"It's so good to see you!" Ron yelled hugging Hermione as best he could.

"Yeah! I've been stuck with the Dursleys all summer," Harry crinkled his nose in disgust. A Muggle woman passed him, bumping into him lightly. "Sorry!" Harry said faintly as she passed him.

Harry glimpsed at the big clock on the pillar of Platform 12 that was ahead of them. The clock was just about to strike 9:00 when Harry yelled, "We have to hurry!" running toward the platform pillar at amazing speed. He grabbed his luggage and Hedwig all while running toward the platform. He was there in no time, all thanks to his newly found long legs.

"He's right...," Ron and Hermione's eyes met. He smiled brightly, happy to see her. Hermione smiled back, wondering why he'd smiled at her so much. She tried to hold back an anticipating giggle. It worked. Ron cleared his throat with a grunt and looked away awkwardly. He grabbed his luggage in his free hand, and left Pig sitting in his cage.

"Could you--?" he asked, making a gesture toward Pig's cage, turning around abruptly to stare at her again. He smiled brightly, she looked much different... better than before. Was it something about the way she was holding herself? No, her posture was the same as ever. But, she was looking down, and looked quite sad.

"Sure!" she smiled and nodded, lifting up her head and picking up the owl's cage with grace. It was so much lighter than Crookshanks's cage. She smiled at the back of the disappearing Ron's head, he was carrying very heavy luggage. A full-grown Crookshanks and his own trunk was not light! Hermione knew that first-hand!

She shook her head and giggled, setting off through the barrier from the Muggle world into the wizarding world. It was a wonderful feeling like a rush of a warm breeze blowing over her. She was so happy to have her friends with her, and she was happy to be out of the Muggle world and the dentists' office.

Hermione met Ron who was waiting for her on the Platform.

"We'd better get on the train! Of course, we won't be able to sit with Harry because of Prefect duties...." He curled his nose, disgusted. He had had one year of it last year, and didn't want to be a prefect again!

"Yeah.... Oh, shoot! I forgot to ask Harry if I could use Hedwig. I've got to send a message to my mother.... She was really out of it this morning!"

"You can use Pig. I've trained him all summer and I'm sure he'll get to your mom all right. He's been sending you letters all summer from me, so he knows exactly where to go!" The small owl shifted in the cage and fell asleep.

"All right! I'll try it, but if it doesn't work Ro--" she got cut off by Ron walking away from her.

Hermione sighed. "C'mon Hermione!" Ron yelled from the Train staircase. He went up them and Hermione just thought she ought to follow. She rolled her eyes and entered the Train. She couldn't wait to be back with her friends in the castle, and what more, one of her friends was a prefect like her! The one she was most drawn to....


	3. The Fire Behind the Window

"Hermione! Over here!" Ron yelled to Hermione who was at the top of the staircase. He was setting all of his items, and Hermione's, in the luggage compartment at the top of the empty Prefects' carriage. Hermione trudged over to Ron, her luggage getting caught on edges of other carriage doors. With every snag she sighed.

Ron was sitting contently on the left bench of the brightly-decorated Prefects' carriage. Everything for prefects was better! The carriages even had gold handles! Hermione sighed and threw her luggage up on the right luggage compartment after pulling out a quill, some ink, a scroll of parchment, and a piece of white string.

"Thanks for your help, Ron!" she said sarcastically glaring at him.

"No problem!" he answered very bored, pulling out some Licorice Wands from his pocket. Hermione shrugged angrily and sat down hard on the opposite bench. She took out her wand from her front pocket of her jeans and yelled "Stiffify!" A bright diamond glow escaped from her wand making the parchment stiff and easy to write on.

Hermione began to write on her parchment, asking her mother why she had looked so tired that morning. Once she was done she set the paper on the empty space beside her on the bench. Again she pulled out her wand and yelled "Limpify!" The paper was limp and back to normal.

"Ron, I need Pig!" she said delicately.

"All right!" he said, happy for Hermione wanting to use Pig. He got him out and put his forearm next to Hermione's for Pigwidgeon to step onto. Hermione rolled up the parchment and tied it around the owl's leg.

"Alright Pig, I need you to go to my Mum as soon as possible, okay? And don't get lost or my Mum will get very mad at me!" Hermione smiled at Pig who blinked at her. The owl set off out the window, and Hermione followed the owl's trail as far as she could see and then she turned to look at Ron she saw him staring at her.

"What?" she asked, her heart aflutter.

"Nothing! It's really cold, isn't it?" he asked looking at the now closed window, finishing off his candy.

"Actually, you know... it is! I didn't notice it before!" Hermione sighed and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms from the cold. She reached out to the window and pressed her face against it just as Ron had done in the third year when the dementors were coming. Frost traced her hand, but this time it was orange, red, and gold steam, as if it came from a large magical fire.

She turned to look at Ron, but when she did he was staring at the small window at the top of the carriage door. A dark figure stood just in front of the window peering in with great fiery eyes. It didn't stop at the door, however, but kept on moving toward a different carriage. Hermione turned to look at Ron when he swallowed hard. She was worried, and she could tell by his face that he was too. Something was out there... something dark and evil....


	4. Herding the Troops

Hermione looked back at Ron, after staring at the red-tinted window for quite a long time. He stuttered and he was shivering out of fear. Ron was also shaking. His eyes were wide and vague, a true gaze of fear for Ronald Weasley. Each Weasley has a distinctive fear stare... and Ron's was utterly comical!

Hermione tried to stifle a laugh, Ron looked so funny. Forgetting all of his fears, Ron asked, "What?" vaguely still, but with meaning.

Hermione giggled a little and just answered, "Nothing. Ron... what do you think is out there?"

"I...I d-don't know, He-Hermione, b-but it c-can't be good!" he smiled weakly, trying to be reassuring.

"Yeah! Ron, we've got to go see what's out there! What if it tries to hurt other people on the train?" Hermione asked vaguely also, but she knew what they had to do.

"You're right, we have to see what's out there.... Hermione... d-d'you know any courage enhancing charms?" he asked weakly, half-smiling at the last word. By the look in his eyes Hermione could tell that he was serious. She shook her head solemnly, and stood up slowly.

"So, I guess we should go see what's out there...." Her voice trailed off when a shrieking sound came from another carriage, distant as far as Hermione could tell.

"Ginny... I-It's got... G-G-Ginny!" Ron cried, opening his mouth slowly like a fish. "My sister! NO! We've got to save h—"a male yell came from the same direction.

"Harry! Ron, Harry and Ginny must've been sitting together! It's the only way they could've been attacked by the monster at the same time! We've got to go help them!" Hermione heard muffled sniffling. Ron was crying, he couldn't take it. Rarely did he cry... but this wasn't a regular cry, these for him were tears of fear and anticipation.

"You're right, Hermione, we've got to go save them! And fa—"his voice too trailed off, when the sound of nails screeching across a chalkboard came from a distance too. The sound of Cho screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Let's go!" Hermione cried, pulling Ron who was wiping away his tears from the seat. She opened the door and peered out, holding Ron's wrist in her hand to make sure he didn't cower away. It wasn't like her to be courageous as she was being now, but it seemed the adrenaline rush from the terror was making her so.

Glass and wood, clothing and trunk pieces, pages of books and pieces of jewelry were scattered everywhere on the train floors. Almost every door was open, containing limp and scattered wizards and witches on benches and floors of different carriages.

"Ron, I know a spell that can help revive some of these people. You'll have to go on though, to find Ginny and Harry and I'll meet you there so I can help make the conscious. We're going to need all the help we can get! If you find any other conscious prefects, bring them with you. I have to leave you.... Good luck!" she smiled weakly and kissed him on the cheek gently as she pulled away entering one of the open carriages.

Ron heard the spell Hermione was using bounce off of the walls of the train. Her shouting was like a train whistle sounding, echoing throughout mighty lands. He smiled gently, and placed his fingertips on the place where she had kissed him. He smiled remembering, and paid no attention to the sound of people around him whimpering. Ron then heard another loud scream, like the sound of a Humpback Whale blowing water out of its blow hole, when he immediately snapped back into reality.

Ron trudged forward looking for his friends and sisters, and also some other prefects that had been left alone by the monster. Ron wished greatly that Malfoy wouldn't be the only prefect left to help him.... Ron shuddered at the thought. He looked to his right, finding a closed prefects' carriage, and opened it. Two wide-eyed Ravenclaw prefects were staring at him.

"I need your help! I need to find all of the prefects I can so we can go and find this monster that's out there! C'mon!" Ron yelled, sounding brave, very unlike him. The boy prefect nodded, though unsure, while the girl whimpered. She seemed young, but that was not the case. She was a fifth year. "C'MON!" Ron yelled more angrily than persuasively.

The Ravenclaws stood up and followed Ron out of the carriage.

"I need you two to go find more prefects—I have some other duties I need to fulfill! GO!" he yelled maniacly, pushing them out of the carriage toward the opposite direction he was going. They ran in that direction and went to find other prefects to join them.

Ron ran through the narrow pathway between carriages briefly looking into carriages to see who the occupants were. Once he found someone he knew, he yelled at them trying to revive them. For many of the people he tried, there was no luck.

Ron stopped dead in his tracks from anger and frustration. He kicked a carriage door, and heard a loud "Hey!" come from the room. It was a voice that sounded oddly familiar.

Ron opened the door wide, and saw inside a sleeping, wounded Cho lying on the left bench, Marietta Edgecombe sitting on the right bench mad and scared.

"What happened?" Ron asked demandingly, a gleam of leadership in his eye.

"Well, if you must know, I was sitting here, and so was Cho, and we were talking, and then the lights dim and an orange film covers all of the windows. Then this monstery guy breaks the door off of its hinges and comes charging in shouting some curse. It'' forbidden I think...."

"Do you remember what the curse was?"

"No.... But it began with A, I know that, and was two words. I've heard it before... in Defense Against the Dark Arts class... but... I'm not quite sure...."

"Okay, thanks. I need your help—"Ron's voice was teamed with the feminine voice of anothers. He turned around to see Hermione standing there.

Hermione smiled weakly. "I helped all the people I could, but I think I know who is behind all of this.... If he's using the Forbidden Curse, the killing one, it's definitely Vo—o, I can't say it! Uggh! Okay.... Volde...mo...rt." Marietta shivered and her eyes went wide. She stared at the window with wide, scared eyes.

"Alright.... Hermione, you need to revive Cho and we'll go find Harry and Ginny... then we'll fight him...." The last word was said awkwardly by Ron. He sighed, turned around, and left the carriage containing two Ravenclaws.

"Animono Revivo!" Hermione shouted, a blast of powerful light covering Cho. "Now, stay here, and lock your door! Make sure no one comes in! I'll put a forever-lock charm on it." Cho's eyes opened with the sound of 'forever-lock charm', and she tried to mutter "But how will we get out?" with no luck. "You'll be able to use "Alohamora" to unlock it later, don't worry!"

Hermione turned around, shut the door and put the charm on the door, which was no sealed with an eerie green glow. She turned around and went in the direction that Ron headed in.

Hermione met Ron in Harry's chamber.

"Hurry!" Ron yelled as Hermione pulled out her wand to mutter the dual spell which would revive more that one person. It worked well, sending a rush of red and gold magic throughout the two's veins. Harry's eyes flew open first, then Ginny's.

"Wh-Where are we?!" Ginny asked, half-closed eyes darting around wildly.

Hermione walked over to the empty empty bench in front of the now-awake girl and boy. "We're on the train. Something, or someone, has been attacking the students...." "Yeah, and we're going to need your help to find him!" Ron said approvingly, a hint of excitement in his voice. He was leaning against the wall in the doorway of the carriage.

"But... how?" Harry asked confused, while Ron edged his way toward Hermione.

"Well, we'll need to get out of here, and follow the fire," Hermione pointed to the window looking out on the dew-covered land. It was traced with gleaming fire, and seemed to be melting its way through the glass. While Hermione was talking Ron sat down next to her, quite close.

Hermione turned to look at him, and he smiled edging a little to his right. Hermione pulled him back. She didn't mind....

Harry noticed the action, and said immediately, "Well, we should get started then...." Harry stood up and pulled Ginny out of the doorway and they headed down to the very back of the train.

Hermione looked at Ron again, and she smiled and then darted her eyes to the doorway of the carriage. Ron followed her gaze and nodded, deliberately pulling her wrist to get her to follow him.

The prefect duo followed Harry and Ginny, they caught up with them because of Ron's long stride, carrying them toward the two. Hermione had to run once in a while to keep up with him. When they got to Ginny and Harry, they had to stand directly behind them because of the narrow pathway. Ron gently slipped his hand into Hermione's, and she turned to look at him. This time she smiled first and they trudged forward, being a lot behind Harry and Ginny.

Harry was looking briefly into every carriage on the train that his eyes could see into, looking for traces of fire. In the new section of carriages however, there was fire strewn across everything, though all doors were closed. Harry opened one carriage door, only to see four scared to death 1st years staring back at him with fear. He flicked his hand in dismissal, fed up with not finding this evil creature.

Ginny followed everything Harry did, and when he looked into any carriage compartment her head would follow. Being just a bit shorter than him, she poked her head in beside him. Whenever he sighed, she'd take his hand for a short while to give him more courage, however she too needed more stamina. She knew time was running short to save all of the pupils on the train, and she knew that the duo behind her would stop at nothing; also the boy to her right.

Ron and Hermione had done their job for the moment; herding up some troops to help them find the monster, and fight the battle soon to come. Heading forward, a blast of orange light illuminated a carriage to their north west, and a maniac snicker was heard by all conscious occupants. A scream followed the laughter, a scream of a girl, a familiar voice, a voice growing old and tired. A voice like Professor McGonnagal's....


End file.
